An Ongoing Issue

Sexual harassment is a societal problem that affects nearly every workplace. This problem can be more serious in workplaces where men and women and people of different gender identities both work and live, such as worksites based in camps. Tree planting is somewhat unique among other resource sector jobs in that it employs a more even ratio of women to men (~40/60), with a majority of the workers being young and single. While this is often viewed as one of the attractive qualities of the job, it has also been associated with unacceptable reports of harassment and even assault among workers.

Employer Responsibility

Even in situations where the employer or its supervisors are not directly involved in the action of harassment, they hold a duty to take steps to prevent and respond to such behavior. In fact, if an employer fails to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment when they knew or should have known it was going to occur, they hold vicarious liability (responsibility) and may face penalties in the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

A History of Gender Equality in the Industry

The modern tree planting industry has its roots in progressive social movements in the 1970s that promoted the equality of men and women doing the same work for the same pay, and was one of the first jobs in forestry where this was a reality on the front lines of forestry labour. However, it was not until 2016 that the sector began taking clear and purposive steps in an effort to prevent harassment among workers at a higher industry level.

Industry Acknowledgment and First Steps

The industry response began with an invitation for workers to speak at the 2016 WFCA conference in Kelowna, where both male and female industry members expressed concerns about the risk of potential harassment or assault in the workplace or in their remote accommodations. In 2017, one company owner invited a former employee to speak at the conference and share her story of how harassment had negatively impacted her in the workplace.

A Turning Point in 2018

With both conscience and legal duties pushing them forward, the industry made sexual harassment a central topic at the 2018 conference in Victoria and in subsequent years, and began an industry-wide campaign to educate employers of their responsibilities and promote better policies and practices. This included sharing educational resources and making recommendations for policy revisions and training programs. Later that year, as the Harvey Weinstein story broke in Hollywood and the “Me Too” movement found its second wind, the industry was fully engaged in seeking solutions to address harassment in their ranks.

Partnerships with Advocacy Groups

A key development occurred when employers in the town of Smithers forged a relationship with a local domestic violence organization called The Northern Society for Domestic Peace (NSDP). Over several years, the NSDP was invited into numerous worksites to gather input from workers, conduct workshops, and speak at industry events, and they continue to provide support to workers and guidance to employers.

Facing Public Scrutiny

This process of addressing this issue was not without challenges. When the NSDP was invited by the WFCA to share some of their data at the 2020 conference in Prince George, reporters from the CBC and other publications wrote articles about the perceived problems in the woods, without noting how the industry had actually set the stage for the stories to become public. The WFCA was fully aware that bad publicity would follow but believed the process necessary to properly address the issue. Knowing that negative publicity was nothing compared to potential impacts on workers, the industry pressed on and further developed their relationship with NSDP and cooperated in the creation of educational resources and videos customized to the needs of the industry, including the CAMP program to support victims of harassment and assault in remote workplaces. The CAMP program is now being used to provide assistance in other industry sectors.

Training and Education Initiatives

Extensive harassment-prevention workshops were conducted through the BC Safe Forestry Program between 2018 and 2023, covering nearly one quarter of industry supervisors and more than three quarters of all employers, including sessions in Nelson, Prince George, Smithers, Courtenay, Victoria, and other communities. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, online workshops were arranged, and worker-only education sessions were supported by the WFCA to spread awareness to more industry members.

Creating a Standard for Respectful Conduct

In 2021, the WFCA worked with prominent human rights lawyer Stephen Hammond to develop the Principles of Respectful Conduct for the silviculture and consultant forestry sector, as a standard for all industry members to follow.

Ongoing Challenges and Commitments

The topic of sexual harassment remains a central concern for the BC Safe Forestry Program, and this issue has intersected with other initiatives to support values of diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace, along with a focus on educating younger industry members on concepts of consent and respectful conduct, and furthering the development of effective systems for reporting problems and investigating and punishing unacceptable behaviour.

While most employers are now acutely aware of the impact that sexual harassment can have on workers, and their duty to take what steps they can to prevent it, the BC Safe Forestry Program acknowledges that this will remain an ongoing focus. With a high turnover rate in the industry that approximates between 20% to 30%, the need to continue educating new recruits and ensuring the good conduct of existing employees is ongoing.